We had our hottest day of summer so far this week, air thick with the doldrums of humidity. And two days later, we had one of the most glorious summer mornings I can imagine: 76°, low humidity, bright sun, blue skies, and a lovely breeze. All that had to happen in between were the cataclysms and cataracts of a thunderstorm. You might be in the doldrums right now, or maybe you’ve just come through the storm—or, perhaps, you’re still right in the midst of the thunder and lightning. God is with you there, wherever you are.
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Story Behind the Song: Faithful’s “A Place For You”
Savannah Locke reminds us that God is one who cares.
- I grew up in a Pentecostal tradition that loved to call everything a spirit. If you showed up to church flustered because your kids wouldn’t get out of bed and your car wouldn’t start and you forgot to brush your teeth, they’d cast out the spirit of chaos. If someone had an allergy attack, they’d cast out demons before considering peanuts. If you were a woman with curves, they’d cast out the Jezebel spirit just to be safe.
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7 Things to Pray Regularly for Your Child’s Faith Journey
Seth Scott encourages us to pray for the faith of our children.
- Being a parent seems to provoke equal parts joy, terror, frustration, and satisfaction as you seek to model, mold, and disciple your children along their faith journey. Scripture is full of examples of parents’ prayers seeking guidance, hope, encouragement, and specific responses from God for current or future children (Gen. 17:18; 1 Chr. 29:19; 1 Sam. 1:9-28). The Christian faith journey is unique in that one’s parents can be biological or spiritual, expanding both the opportunity and scope of our focused prayers for those following our faith journey’s footsteps.
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Still Saying Goodbye
Kelsey Baty reminds us that many of us are carrying grief.
- A casket is really heavy. In fact, after heaving one into the back of a hearse for the first time, I Googled it. Ranging from 160 to 220 pounds, a standard casket, plus the weight of the body inside, easily exceeds 300 pounds. My dad, my brother, plus a few funeral home attendants and I worked together to slide that metal tube housing my momma’s body into the back of the car—the car that would drive flesh and bone to its final resting place. I placed my hand on the mahogany exterior, outfitted in gold hardware, and whispered, “Bye, Momma,” just as I had done the day before she took her last breath.
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23 Adventure Picture Books for Kids
Erica at What Do We Do All Day has a booklist for us!
- A friend of mine mentioned that her child loved adventure stories, and did I have any adventure picture books to recommend?
Of course I did!
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Around the Warren
A Home is Not Our Hope: Resting in the Promise of a Place to Belong
Erica Robertson reminds us that there is a promise we can rest in.
- Last summer our family moved for the tenth time in nearly sixteen years. That’s an average of one move about every year and a half. My six-year old has lived in five different houses. Our dog has traveled from Virginia to California and back. We have lived in apartments, houses, townhomes, and duplexes. In one we watched in horror as black smoke rose from our vents caused by a blazing mouse nest in our furnace. We have had our homes flood at least three times.
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A Liturgy for When the House Feels Too Full of Children
Millie Sweeny offers a prayer.
- O God who creates order from chaos,
help me now.
O Jesus who gathered into Your arms
all the children You could hold,
draw me close.
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Something to Do with Your Kids
Looking for a new approach to the art classics? Try making them from clay following this template!
Something to Watch
We’re moving on to geographical facts about India this week.
Thanks for reading. We’re on your side.
–The Story Warren Team
You can find her at carolyncgivens.com or on Facebook or Instagram at @carolyncgivens.
- The Warren & The World Vol 11, Issue 30 - September 16, 2023
- The Warren & The World Vol 11, Issue 29 - September 2, 2023
- The Warren & The World Vol 11, Issue 28 - August 19, 2023
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